Powerful Earthquake Hits Kamchatka, Sparks Tsunami Warnings in Russia, Japan, US
A powerful 8.7-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Tuesday, prompting tsunami warnings for coastal regions in Russia, Japan, and parts of the United States. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported the quake occurred approximately 125 kilometers east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city of about 165,000 residents on Avacha Bay, at a shallow depth of 19.3 kilometers.
The tremor, described by Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov as the region’s most significant in decades, caused visible shaking in buildings, with videos capturing furniture toppling and balconies swaying in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. According to Reuters, Solodov noted damage to a kindergarten but reported no injuries based on preliminary assessments. Russia’s TASS news agency reported that residents fled into the streets, some without shoes or coats, as cabinets fell, mirrors shattered, and power outages disrupted mobile networks in the regional capital.
Tsunami waves reaching 3 to 4 meters were recorded in parts of Kamchatka, according to Sergei Lebedev, the regional minister for emergency situations, who urged residents to avoid coastal areas. The U.S. Tsunami Warning System issued alerts for hazardous waves expected within hours along the coasts of Russia, Japan, and Hawaii, with potential waves exceeding 3 meters in parts of Russia and the northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Smaller waves, ranging from 0.3 to 1 meter, were forecast for regions including Chuuk, Kosrae, the Marshall Islands, Palau, and the Philippines, with even lesser impacts expected in South Korea, North Korea, and Taiwan.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami advisory for its Pacific coast from Hokkaido to Kyushu, warning of waves up to 1 meter arriving around 10:00 a.m. local time. NHK reported that evacuation orders were issued in some areas, with residents advised to stay away from coasts and river mouths. In Hawaii, the National Weather Service activated sirens across all islands, urging residents to evacuate coastal zones or seek higher ground, with the first tsunami wave expected around 7:17 p.m. local time.
The Kamchatka Peninsula, located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, is prone to seismic activity due to its position at the convergence of the Pacific and North American tectonic plates. The USGS noted that the quake was followed by aftershocks, including a 6.9-magnitude tremor. While the Kamchatka branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences described the event as “very powerful,” it noted that the epicenter’s characteristics reduced the intensity of surface shaking compared to what might be expected from such a high-magnitude quake.